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{
    "id": 820307,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/820307/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 21,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, from the onset, I rise to oppose this Petition on the following reasons: One, even though the Constitution gives every Kenyan a right to petition Prliament, there are certain things that can be dealt with by courts of law. If we limit ourselves to looking at individual transactions where somebody was probably duped by a broker to buy a parcel of land that belongs to a Maasai and the community does not even realise that the parcel of land was sold, we will not be able to do the work that the Constitution mandates us to do in terms of making legislation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Article 40 of the Constitution protects the right to property. However, Kenyans ought to know that there is a provision in same Constitution that does not protect any property that could have been acquired illegally. This petitioner ought to have followed the due process of the law and filed his Petition in the Lands Court, which is very active nowadays. Let me congratulate the Judiciary for having expedited many land cases in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is also important for this House to look at Article 119 of the Constitution which gives the person a right to petition this Parliament. We need to come up with legislation on what should be accepted as petition. All these land transactions and what is happening in the Mau Forest are as result of corruption. Many people in the Mau Forest might have been duped to buy Government land. Therefore, instead of us wasting a lot of time on issues that can be dealt with by either a group of elders in the village, the court or the Ministry of Lands, let us focus our efforts on the Mau Forest issue which affecting hundreds of thousands of people who live in this country and beyond. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I oppose this Petition. I think you should do what your brother in the “Lower” House did, put it where it belongs. That is the dustbin. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}